The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The invention is related in general to wellsite surface equipment such as wellsite pumping equipment and the like.
Packing is a term referring to the sealing elements in, for example, a fluid end of a positive displacement pump. Packing is contemplated to be an expendable item and is routinely replaced after a certain duration of use of the pump or if the packing gets damaged during use. As shown in FIG. 1, a packing assembly 10 of the prior art typically comprises a junk ring 1 having a header ring 2 disposed thereagainst. A pressure ring 3, a female adapter 4, and a spacer 5 are disposed against the header ring 2. The junk ring 1, the header ring 2, the pressure ring 3, the female adapter 4, and the spacer 5 abut an interior surface of a tubular fluid end body 7 and, in combination, form a sealing subassembly indicated generally at 9. An oil seal 6 is disposed against a packing nut 8 that, in combination with the subassembly 9, forms the packing assembly indicated generally at 10.
The packing can be adjustable or non-adjustable. Adjustable packing allows the packing nut to be tightened to provide further pressure on the packing. Non-adjustable packing ensures that the packing nut shoulders on the fluid end body and hence there is no adjustment.
In order to replace the packing, the process is fairly cumbersome and typically involves removing the fluid end cover plates, removing the plunger clamps, pulling the plunger out, removing and then replacing the packing, placing the plunger back in position, and placing the fluid end cover plates back in position.
It remains desirable to provide improvements in wellsite surface equipment in efficiency, flexibility, reliability, and maintainability.